Monday, October 30, 2017

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of beautiful Michigan light every day in October)

"Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good." Psalm136:1

(not original to me! King David gets full credit for those beautiful words!)

Day 30: Practice for Thanksgiving

Gotta have lots of appetizers and snacks on T-Day

The light is at the end of the Vegan Month of Food tunnel!
Tomorrow’s post will be the last one, and I must say, 31 posts in 31 days has
been a challenge, but I did it. Hopefully some of you became more motivated to
try vegan food and meals and attitudes. Remember, ‘vegan’ doesn’t mean weird or
hippie or liberal or deprived or grungy – no. It means not hurting animals. That’s
the bottom ‘vegan line.’ Leave animals off your plate.

When I think of eating animals, the most upsetting situation
is Thanksgiving. Imagine all the turkeys. Every single home, every single
American. All the traditions of being thankful have been lasered in on one
iconic item: the turkey. When did stuffing our bodies full of turkey almost to
the point of illness become our sole representation and expression of thankfulness?

We won’t be eating a turkey at my home as a way to express
our thankfulness. We will celebrate family and friendship with a table full of
the earth’s bounty.

Autumn always puts me in a thankful mood: I love the cool
air, the colors, the gentle sunlight, and the darker afternoons. If you’ve been
reading these October posts, you might recall this line of poetry, which to me
says it all.

‘October is a gentle queen who crowns the year in gold.’

Penning that one line was how I began this year’s Vegan
Month of Food journey. I was a passenger on a long car trip, trying to decide
if I should once again tackle this huge challenge (31 posts in 31 days, guys!).
I was scribbling down ideas and landed on my theme of “Lines and Light.” This
was the first line I wrote, and it has been my undergirding theme of the entire
month.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

(a line of original poetry or a photo of Michigan light every day for the month of October)

Day 29:History: What would you cook for your favorite historical figure

Light on a secret place

(That pinkish stuff all over the place is the most flavorful sauce made from the juice of my roasted tomatoes, Dijon mustard, and vegan Ranch dressing. OMG.)

(Day 2. I chunked up the leftover sausage, sauteed them in a bit of oil and added to to jarred Marinara sauce. Better than meat!)

In honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation
of the church, I decided to make sausages, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
roasted tomatoes for my favorite reformer, Martin Luther. If there has even
been a single person who has changed world history, it’s Luther! Reformations
and Counter-Reformations and new denominations of Christianity and huge
divisions in the church – there’s no way he could have known what his influence
would be. I totally admire his willingness and bravery to speak his mind, even
to the point of excommunication!

(If Mrs. Luther had fennel, she would have used her Brazilian mortar and pestle to grind it, just like me.)

He stood before emperor and said, “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to
go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no
other, so help me God. Amen.” Think of it! That’s crazy!

My favorite Martin Luther quote is
this, “You can’t keep birds from flying over you but you can keep them from
nesting in your hair.”

Another Luther gem, “The devil
should not be allowed to keep all the best tunes to himself.”

If you don’t know much about
Martin Luther, I suggest that you watch one of the many movies made about him,
or even take a glimpse at Wikipedia. He was a pretty fascinating guy. I’m
positive his beloved wife, Katherina, made him this meal.

If you haven’t made homemade vegan
sausages, fear not! It’s so easy and way better than store bought ones. I find
most of the brands way too salty for my taste. These are simple to make and it
really doesn’t take much time. My recipe is based on Isa Chandra’sItalian
Feast Sausages, from her Vegan Brunch cookbook.

Smash the chickpeas with a fork until every single one has been
smashed. Add the gluten and mix a bit. Make a slurry with the remaining
ingredients, whisk, and pour over the dry stuff. Use a wooden spoon and then
your hands to mix everything together. It will seem wet. It won’t be too long before you observe long threads of
gluten in the mixture – that’s when you know you’re ready for the next step.

Divide the stuff into 4 sausages and carefully wrap them in aluminum
foil. Steam them for about 40 minutes! Voila! They are ready!

I like to cut them lengthwise and fry them a bit. Serve with mustard,
or sautéed onions and garlic, or in sauces, or on bread, or sliced into disks.
Very good.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of Michigan light every day in October)

Day 28: Brunch

I served my Avocado Potato Toast on a lightly dressed chopped salad.

Did I invent Avocado Toast? No. Did I invent Avocado Potato Toast? I was hoping so, but a quick google search reveals other home cooks who have already put these two favorites together. (But truth be told, mine was pretty delish! We scarfed.)

The hollandiase was simple and very lemony and light. It would be great on a tofu scramble or even in a falafel sandwich.

The star of the meal is the huge roasted potato chip. Bake it till it's nice and crispy.

(Below, is today's photo of beautifuul Michigan light. Taken at Art Prize in Grand Rapids in 2015)

"Me and Starry Light"

Here's what you need:

large russet potatoes, sliced lengthwise about 1/3 inch thick. Use only the nicest pieces for the best 'chips' . Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 400 degrees until golden. Flip them over once in a while.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of beautiful Michigan light every day in October)

It's Raining

Two days of constant rhythm

Grey. Slate. Iron. Fatiguing.

The cold bleakness offers some warmth, though

a tiny rubber boot

wet bangs stuck to foreheads

puddles under reluctant dogs

open umbrellas propped against a bookshelf

Sated trees thankfully lifting October arms

Day 25: Best Friend

I made a lovely zucchini parmesan for my best friend tonight. I've been making dinner for him for over thirty years and I never get tired of setting the table, placing a plate of homemade food before him, and sitting together after a long work day. Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we eat in silence. It's all good. In fact, it's awesome.

I LOVE the New York Times method of prepping the zucchini. Slice it thinly lengthwise (maybe 1/4 inch), place on lightly greased baking trays, brush lightly with olive oil, and roast at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, babysitting and flipping the strips over if needed.

Use an excellent quality sauce and the best quality vegan parmesan cheese. This excellent casserole freezes well. I have a huge one waiting in the freezer for Thanksgiving weekend.

Also, consider prepping the pasta a bit before plating. Here, I sauted garlic and hot pepper flakes. I added water and white wine, Lawrys Season salt and lots of dried parsley. These simple additions create an excellent pasta side dish.

Monday, October 23, 2017

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of beautiful Michigan light every day in October)

Someone I know is broken

Life is too heavy for him

But as long as one blade of grass pushes up

I will believe in the goodness of life and hope for a new tomorrow

Grow, grass. Grow.

Day 23: Fancy

Oh, how I fretted over today's theme of 'fancy.' I just couldn't pull myself together to create a 'fancy' meal -- you know the type: served on the china stored away in the basement, maybe served with a chilled sparkling wine.... Nope, I just didn't have it in me this time around....so, I made tacos. Amazing vegan tacos with perfect lime slaw. Fancy enough for Sunday afternoon.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of light every day in the month of October)

Day 22: Weird Grains

I made this millet salad for my 5th and 6th graders because we are studying Africa. Lots of millet is eaten in Africa (and all over Asia as well). I have to be honest and admit that they really did not like it. I think a few kids only licked one tiny grain and called it good. I kept saying things like, "It's not spicy!" or "I think you'll like it if you take a whole spoonful," or, desperately, "Keep chewing!" Ha!

Mince onions and green peppers and garlic and saute. Whirl a carrot or two in a food processor until minced and almost juicy. Add carrots to the saute. Add millet and saute a bit. Add the correct amount of vegetable broth and simmer until nice and soft. Lots of chopped cilantro at the end.

I thought it was delicious, but I'm weird that way - I love weird grains. (Is there even such a thing?)